The grand foyer felt cold and silent despite the bright sunlight streaming inside.
Adrian took two quick steps toward the base of the white marble staircase.
His eyes darted from his crying baby girl to the two angry women standing above.
Adrian: I want the truth right now about what just happened here!
Victoria: I tried to stop Elena, but she bumped the stroller on purpose!
Elena: I would never harm a single hair on that sweet baby's head!
Victoria: She is jealous of my place in this home, Adrian, fire her!
Adrian rubbed his forehead, feeling overwhelmed by the chaotic scene in his foyer.
He loved Victoria, but he had known Elena for nearly a whole decade.
Young Maya stepped forward from behind her father with a cold, firm look.
She pulled a sleek black smartphone out from the side pocket of her jacket.
Maya: Dad, wait right there and look at what I have on here!
Victoria's eyes went wide as she stared at the glowing glass screen in Maya's hand.
Victoria: Maya, put that phone away and do not interrupt your father now!
Maya: I was sitting on the upper landing reading my school book quietly.
Maya: I saw Victoria holding the handle and setting up her video recording camera.
Adrian: What are you talking about, Maya? Show me the screen right now.
Maya walked up to her father and handed him the glowing digital smartphone.
Adrian hit the play button on the screen, his fingers trembling slightly with tension.
The video clip played smoothly in high-definition quality under the daylight.
It clearly showed Victoria carefully angling the stroller toward the top step landing.
It showed her intentionally releasing her grip and shoving the frame with her hand.
It also showed Elena sprinting across the polished floor to grab the handle in time.
The sound of Victoria's harsh cruel laugh came clearly through the tiny phone speaker.
Adrian stood frozen on the marble floor as he watched the footage play twice.
His jaw clenched tight, and his face turned a dark shade of intense red.
Adrian: You... you pushed my baby's stroller toward those steep steps?
Victoria: Adrian, please, that video clip does not show the real context!
Maya: You wanted to blame Elena so dad would fire her from here!
Victoria: That is not true, I was just trying to fix the wheel!
Adrian looked up from the smartphone screen, his eyes filled with blazing anger.
The cozy warmth of the sunlit foyer vanished into a dark heavy atmosphere.
Victoria took a slow step backward on her heels, her face turning ghostly pale.
Adrian: You stood there and deliberately risked my daughter's life for a game!
Victoria: Listen to me, Adrian, I love you and this whole family!
Adrian: Do not speak another word of lies to me ever again, Victoria!